How Computer-Generated Holograms Can Contribute

To 3-D Imaging?
Leonid P. Yaroslavsky
Dept. of Interdisciplinary Studies, School of Electrical Engineering, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
yaro@eng.tau.ac.il

Abstract: Generating a hologram of the scene to be viewed is an ultimate solution for 3-D visualization.
For generating synthetic holograms, one doesn't need to imitate optical holograms of the scene. The paper
discusses possible options.
2007 Optical Society of America
OCIS codes: (100.0100) General; (090.1760)

An ultimate solution for 3-D visualization and communication

Holographic imaging is an ultimate solution for 3-D visualization. This is the only method that is capable of
reproducing, in the most natural viewing conditions, 3-D images that have all visual properties of the original
objects including full parallax, and are visually separated from the display device. 3-D visual communication and
display can be achieved through generating, at the viewer side, of holograms out of data that contain all relevant
information regarding the scene to be viewed. Digital computers are ideal means for converting data on 3-D scenes
into optical holograms for visual perception ([1,2]).

What one needs to transmit or to generate a hologram on the viewer side for 3D display and communication?

For generating synthetic holograms at the viewer side, one does not need to necessarily imitate full optical
holograms of the scene. Neither one needs to produce, at the scene side, the hologram of the scene and to transmit it
to the viewers site. Rather one needs to generate, at the scene side, set of data that will be sufficient to generate, at
the viewer site, a synthetic hologram for displaying viewing the scene. The upper bound of the amount of data
needed to be generated at the scene side is the full volumetric description of the scene geometry and optical
properties. However, in reality the amount of data needed is much lower due to the limitations of the human visual
system.
Human visual system has quite a number of natural limitations that must be taken into account in the synthesis of
computer-generated display holograms:
Human vision works in incoherent light;
At every particular moment, each of two eyes perceives only a small fraction of the incoming wavefront limited
by the size of the pupil (about 3x3 mm);
3D perception is achieved through several mechanisms complementing each other:
eye accommodation;
eye convergence, or the inward rotation of the eyes to converge on objects as they move closer to the
observer;
binocular disparity, or the difference in the images projected on the left and right eye retinas in the viewing
of a 3D scene;
linear perspective;
shading, shadowing and play of highlights on diffuse surfaces that do not have edges or textures capable of
producing perception of binocular disparity;
aerial perspective;
interposition, or occluding, hiding or overlapping one object by another;
retinal image size;
motion parallax, which provides different views of a scene in response to movement of the scene or the
viewer
Binocular disparity is the salient depth cue used by the visual system to produce the sensation of depth, or stereopsis.
Binocular vision has limitations in its turn. In particular, the resolving power of binocular vision in measuring scene
depth is by the order of magnitude lower that the vision resolving power in terms of the number of resolvable pixels
in the scene ([3]). This means that the increment in the amount of data, which should be added to the scene image
data to satisfactorily, for binocular vision, describe the scene depth map, accounts only several percents of the
amount of scene image data.

Possible solutions for generating synthetic display holograms that fit human vision.

Several solutions that are computationally inexpensive and at the same time are quite sufficient for creating 3D
visual sensation with synthetic display holograms have been suggested ([1]):
Multiple view mosaic macro-holograms.
In this method, the scene to be viewed is described by means of multiple view images taken from different
directions in the supposed view angle, and, for each image, a hologram is synthesized separately with an account of
its position in the viewing angle (Fig. 1, a). Each hologram has to be of the size of the viewers eye pupil. These
elementary holograms will reconstruct different aspects of scenes from different directions, which are determined by
their position in the view angle. The set of such holograms is then used to build a composite, or mosaic, macro-
hologram. Being properly illuminated, it can be used for viewing the reconstructed scene as, for instance, through a
window (Fig. 1, b). Note that for scenes given by their mathematical models, well-developed methods and hardware
of computer graphics can be used for efficient generating multiple view images needed for computing elementary
holograms.

Object

Miniature
white light
lamp

Composite mosaic
macro-hologram
a)
b)
Fig. 1. The principle of synthesis of composite holograms (a) and viewing holograms using as a light source a miniature while light lamp (b).

Composite stereo-holograms.
This is a special case of multiple view mosaic macro-holograms. Composite stereo holograms are synthetic
Fourier holograms that reproduce only horizontal parallax ([1,5]). When viewed with two eyes as through a
window, they are capable of creating 3D sensation thanks to stereoscopic vision. With such holograms arranged
in a circular composite hologram, full 360 degrees view of the scene can be achieved. When the hologram
rotates, viewer looking through the hologram can see continuously rotating objects. Fig. 1 shows such a circular
hologram composed of 1152 fragmentary kinoform holograms of 1024x1024 pixels recorded with pixel size
12.5 mcm. Total size of the composite hologram was 240 cm ([4]).

Fig. 2. Synthetic computer generated circular stereo macro-hologram

 Programmed diffuser holograms.
Programmed diffuser method for synthesis of Fourier display hologram was suggested for generating digital
computer-generated holograms capable of reconstructing different views of 3-D objects whose surfaces scatter
light diffusely ([1, 6]). The method assumes that objects are specified by their shape z(x,y), by the magnitude of
the object reflectivity distribution A(x,y) given in the object plane (x,y) and by the directivity pattern of the
diffuse component of its surface. The diffuse light scattering from the object surface is simulated by assigning
to the object a pseudo-random phase component (a programmable diffuser), whose correlation function
corresponds to the given directivity pattern of the object surface. This pseudo-random phase component is
combined with the deterministic phase component defined by the object shape to form phase distribution of the
object. Holograms synthesized with this method exhibit spatial inhomogeneity that is directly determined by the
geometrical shape and diffuse properties of the object surface. This allows imitating viewing the object from
different direction by means of reconstruction of different fragments of its programmed diffuser hologram as
it is illustrated in Fig. 2 on an example of a cone shaped object.

z(x,y)
A(x,y)
Fig. 3. Objects image (left), objects shape (center) and four images reconstructed from north-west, north-east, south-west and south-east
fragments of its programmed diffuser hologram (right)

Holographic displays and reconstruction of computer generated display holograms

The bottleneck in the problem of holographic 3D communication is the lack of holographic displays for synthesis,
from data transmitted for the scene site, and recording on a physical media computer generated holograms at the
viewer site. From the point of view of light efficiency, phase media and multiple phase encoding methods for
recording computer generated holograms ([1,7]) are most appropriate.
The design of holographic displays can be much simplified by the fact that one doesnt need a laser for
reconstruction of computer generated display holograms. The degree of coherence of the reconstruction light beam
measured as the ratio of the light frequency to its spectrum spread, should be of the order of the number of pixels in
the scene images, which is by 3-4 orders of magnitude lower than that needed for recording optical holograms. This
means that sources of quasi-monochromatic light with this ratio of order 103 are sufficient as hologram illumination
devices. In addition to simplifying hologram reconstruction device, this will be beneficial also in terms of reducing
reconstruction speckle noise.

References

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[2] Lee S.H. Computer-generated holograms: Techniques and applications, in Progress in Optics, Ed. E. Wolf, 1978, v. 16, p. 119-132
[3] L.P. Yaroslavsky, J. Campos, M. Espinola, I. Ideses, Redundancy of stereoscopic images: Experimental evaluation, Optics Express, v. 13, No.
26, Dec. 22, 2005, p. 10895
[4] V.N. Karnaukhov, N.S. Merzlyakov, L.P. Yaroslavsky, Three dimensional computer generated holographic movie, Sov.Tech. Phys. Lett., v.2,
iss.4, Febr. 26, 1976, p.169-172.
[5] Yatagai T. Stereoscopic approach to 3-D display using computer-generated holograms, Appl. Opt., 1976, v. 15, No 11, p. 2722-2729
[6] N.S. Merzlyakov, L.P. Yaroslavsky, Simulation Of Light Spots on Diffuse Surfaces by Means of a "Programmed Diffuser", Sov. Phys. Tech.
Phys., v. 47, iss.6, 1977, p. 1263-1269.
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